A Philadelphia felon under investigation for possible connections to at least two missing women was arrested after authorities uncovered a disturbing array of items inside his home, including hazardous chemicals, a 55-gallon drum, several urns, hidden compartments, multiple firearms and a handwritten letter that referenced serial killer Ted Bundy.
Eugene Horsch, 44, is facing drug and firearms charges following a search of his deteriorating brick residence in the city’s Olney neighborhood, Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said at a Friday press conference. Investigators with the FBI and local police reportedly found chemicals, guns and narcotics during the search.
The case began on June 19, when a U.S. park ranger near Independence Hall in Old City overheard Horsch arguing with his girlfriend inside a parked car, police said.
When the woman was heard saying, “You’re going to hurt me,” the ranger went to check on the pair and alerted other law enforcement agencies, which responded to the scene.
Authorities said they soon discovered that Horsch was allegedly in possession of a counterfeit Drug Enforcement Administration badge, a switchblade and two firearms with “obliterated serial numbers,” Vanore told reporters.
The encounter took another turn when investigators found that Horsch’s girlfriend had a fake identification card bearing her photograph but listing the name of a woman who had been reported missing.
That woman, whose identity has not been publicly released by police, was reported missing from the Kensington area in February 2023, sources told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Horsch’s girlfriend later told investigators that he had given her the ID because she had outstanding arrest warrants. She said she did not know the missing woman, but believed something may have happened to her, according to the local outlet.
Investigators were then led to Horsch’s three-story Olney residence, where they uncovered a vast collection of dangerous chemicals, a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines, and roughly 120 pieces of ballistics evidence, cops added.
The sheer amount of chemicals and the “strange setup” prompted police to call in the FBI, which will help further investigate exactly what kinds of materials Horsch had been hoarding in the home.
“In the basement area of this property, there were chemicals. Various chemicals in bottles … some of these chemicals, if they were to be put together and obviously ignited, they could cause some hazards,” Vanore said.
Cops also discovered an unsigned handwritten letter that referenced hurting people, as well as serial killer Ted Bundy, the Inquirer reported.
“Acting on emotion is where problems occur. What I don’t think I told you was that the first time it was planned ahead of time. The threat was made before you know who came over, and I already had a 2ft zip tie in my pocket and a drum set up,” the letter obtained by the publication stated.
“I had been ready and waiting, and I damn sure showed no hesitation. And it was fun,” the chilling note continued.
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Sources told the Inquirer that they are working to learn who wrote the letter, and whether it is a piece of fiction or true.
A bank card in the name of the woman who went missing in 2023 and a death certificate for another woman who died last year were also found in the home, the outlet reported.
Narcotics, as well as evidence that Horsch was allegedly trying to grow more drugs, were found inside as well, Vanore said.
Horsch’s arrest sparked concern from the family of Amy McHale, who vanished in 2016 and was last known to be at the Olney home, WPVI reported.
McHale was previously married to Horsch’s late father, her family told the outlet.
“I immediately thought they had found my mom,” Amanda Stofer, the missing woman’s daughter, told the outlet.
Cops said they have not discovered human remains on the property, as rumors brewed in the community.
Some urns, however, were inside the home and homicide investigators are now leading the probe. Cops said at least one was labeled with the name of a Horsch family member.
Horsch is a convicted felon whose last case involved an assault in Philadelphia. He also has criminal charges outside of the city, Vanore said.
Horsch’s attorney, Jerry Brown, told the outlet that his client’s father lived in the home for a long time and had “a very interesting past,” and he “thinks a lot of the chemistry stuff is [Horsch’s] father’s.”
His father, R.C. Horsch, was an erotic photographer and filmmaker and had prior convictions himself, including for forgery, the Inquirer reported.
In 1977, federal agents also raided R.C. Horsch’s home laboratory, where they discovered equipment to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, according to the outlet.
He fled to New Zealand and later returned to California under the alias “Richard Harris,” according to the local paper.
Authorities in hazmat suits entered the property over the weekend. Officials, including federal experts from Quantico, will continue to investigate.
The FBI did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for further comment.
